From an empty lot in downtown Salem City, a community garden is sprouting

View full sizeStaff photo by Britney LillyaPlanters for the Salem City Community Garden are under construction at the corner of Hires Avenue and New Market Street in downtown Salem.

SALEM — A fresh, new effort is under way to bring homegrown produce and an image of pride to the heart of the city.

A group of young volunteers have started work on the Salem City Community Garden, a public garden project which is open to all city residents who wish to learn to grow fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

“We want to get people in the city, especially young people, involved with this project to promote a sense of pride in the city,” said Britney Lillya, 26, of Mannington one of the volunteers initiating the project.

“Our thinking is that if we can get people to come together and care about the garden, it will create a more positive image for the city.”

Lillya, along with her partners in the project — Devin Mahoney, 24, of Mannington and Krystal Hall, 26, of Elsinboro — approached Salem City Council recently to request the use of city-owned property for the community garden.

Since Lillya, a Today’s Sunbeam photographer, and Mahoney are both Salem High School graduates, and Hall is a regular volunteer with the Salem Farmers Market, all three said they have seen first-hand the need for summer activities in the city, especially for the youth.

View full sizeSpecial to Today's SunbeamVolunteers came together Sunday to start building raised garden beds for the Salem City Community Garden project that is getting underway on the corner of Hires Avenue and New Market Street in Salem City as seen here. Raised garden beds were assembled from shipping pallets and straw bales. Pictured, from left, Lauren Carll, Ken Blades, Britney Lillya, Devin Mahoney, Krystal Hall, and Brandon McAllister.

Council gave unanimous approval to create a garden on a vacant plot of ground at the corner of New Market Street and Hires Avenue, behind the Salem City Municipal Building.

On Sunday, a group of about 20 volunteers began laying the foundation for the garden at the site, creating raised beds for the plants out of straw bales and wood shipping pallets.

“We want to show people that it’s cheap and easy to do a garden,” said Mahoney. “If we help people with a community effort like this, then maybe people will want to start more gardens like this on their own.”

Mahoney also pointed to a recent study performed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which ranked Salem County as the second worst county in the state of New Jersey in overall health and wellness.

“Hopefully, this is one way we can get people to eat better and improve health in the county,” he said. “People will have more options to eat better if they have access to their own fresh fruit and vegetables.”

The garden will encompass a 64-foot by 64-foot area, featuring 12 pallet beds and five straw bale beds. The beds will soon be filled with soil, and then planting will begin.

After that, it should only be a matter of time before peppers, tomatoes, squash, eggplants, herbs, and other plants begin sprouting in the center of the city.

View full sizeStaff photo by Britney LillyaVolunteers putting together planters for the Salem City Community Garden.

“We wanted to help clean-up the image of the city, so we figured we’d give this a try,” said Hall. “We’ve heard the fears about the garden being destroyed or vandalized, but you never know until you give it a try.”

She added, “So far, we’ve received fantastic support from the city and community. We’re hoping this catches on, and we can create additional gardens in other areas of the city.”

The garden has also received the support of local non-profit Salem Main Street.

“We’re doing anything we can to support the garden. Anything positive for the city helps all of us,” said Chris Davenport, executive director of Main Street. “We’re hoping this gets the younger generation involved, and sparks some pride in Salem.”

Volunteers and supplies are still needed for the Salem City Community Garden. The group is specifically seeking help with material to build a fence around the garden, as well as soil, garden tools, compost and peat moss (to mix into the soil), and plants for the garden.

Anyone wishing to donate can contact Britney Lillya at blillyaphoto@gmail.com or 609-501-5631; or contact Salem Main Street at 856-935-8800.